Season 1 of Signed: Conversations with Digital Mavericks pulled back the curtain on what it really takes to build a creator empire. Hosted by entertainment lawyer Anita Sharma, this special Best Of episode revisits the most powerful, vulnerable, and inspiring moments from our first six guests.

In this episode:

• Drew Afualo on climbing to the top of the NFL only to realize it wasn't what she wanted, and how getting let go (for "not being able to grow a following") led to building 8+ million followers on TikTok
• Alyson Stoner on the hidden cost of child stardom, being called a "veteran on set" as a kid while lacking basic life skills, and turning that pain into advocacy for child actors and kidfluencers
• Shan Boodram on hitting rock bottom after an MTV pilot rejection and asking herself: "Why am I waiting for somebody else to make my dream come true?," the question that changed everything
• Sidney Raz on 15 years of posting, learning to love editing, and why the "delusional thing" became his reality
• Michelle Khare on the democratization of storytelling and why creators don't need gatekeepers anymore, they have their audiences
• Jon Kung on turning down a prosecutor job to cook at underground raves in abandoned Detroit warehouses, choosing instinct over security

This is what happens when creators choose themselves.

Season 2 launches January 2026. Subscribe now so you don't miss it.

Credits: Hosted by Anita Sharma Produced by Anita Sharma and Phoebe Dunn Edited by Carmine Mattia Social Media Strategy by Maureen Lauren Sedlak Theme Music by Carmine Mattia

Follow Signed on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube: @SignedPodcast

Self-taught chef, content creator, and best-selling author Jon Kung joins Anita Sharma for a conversation about third culture cooking, finding creative freedom in Detroit's emptiness, and why teaching people to make tomato sandwiches matters more than showing off culinary skills.

Jon opens up about his first vivid food memory, eating raw spiny lobster straight from the ocean in South Africa at 16, and how growing up in Hong Kong and Toronto gave him the confidence to never apologize for being an Asian American. We discuss teaching himself to cook during law school, turning down a sought-after prosecutor job while sitting in his car, and running underground Chinese pop-ups in abandoned Detroit warehouses and factories during the recession.

In this episode, Jon talks about being an early TikTok adopter, posting survival recipes during the pandemic, and why his camping cooking videos (his slowest, most peaceful content) are a direct response to what he calls "violent" food content. He shares his philosophy on teaching through simplicity (the viral tomato sandwich series), why his equipment reviews perform best on YouTube, and how his corn kernel remover is the kitchen gadget that actually matters.

We also explore Jon's bestselling cookbook "Kung Food," his deep connection to the drag community, why he doesn't watch other food content to relax, and his death row meal that would probably be the thing that kills him. Plus: the great pineapple on pizza debate gets settled by a real chef.

This episode is about finding space to experiment, teaching with intention, and cooking food that brings people joy.

Follow Jon: @jonkung

Disclaimer: I'm a lawyer, but this podcast isn't legal advice. It's for general information only. Listening doesn't make us attorney and client, so if you need legal advice, please talk to a lawyer in your area.

Credits:

Produced by: Anita Sharma & Phoebe Dunn

Creative Producer: Khairi Williams

Script Editor: Mac Montandon

Technical Production Support Provided By: Seth Richardson

Edited by: Carmine Mattia

Social Media Strategy: Maureen Lloren Sedlak

Signed Theme Music By: Carmine Mattia

Creator behind the viral "Things I Wish I Knew Before I Was In My 30s" series Sidney Raz joins Anita Sharma for an honest conversation about 18 years of grinding before "making it," building a real media company, and why he's now vlogging the most personal story of his life.

Sid opens up about posting his first YouTube video in 2007, working at React Media for five years as his "trade school," and posting on TikTok every single day for a year and a half to grow from zero followers to 90K. We discuss how corporate America taught him to be the best emailer in the creator game, why he posted a TikTok on his wedding day at 7,000 followers, and the moment he realized the "life hacks" format was his lightning in a bottle.

In a heartbreaking twist, Sid shares how losing his daughter Delfina at 26 weeks led to genetic testing that discovered the stage T1a stomach cancer that would have killed him. He talks about building 11,000 newsletter subscribers as something "nobody can take away," publishing a real book with DK, and why, after everything, he's come full circle to daily vlogging.

This episode is about persistence, pivoting, and owning your story completely.

Follow Sid: @sidneyraz

Disclaimer: I'm a lawyer, but this podcast isn't legal advice. It's for general information only. Listening doesn't make us attorney and client, so if you need legal advice, please talk to a lawyer in your area.

Credits:

Produced by: Anita Sharma & Phoebe Dunn

Creative Producer: Khairi Williams

Script Editor: Mac Montandon

Technical Production Support Provided By: Seth Richardson

Edited by: Carmine Mattia

Social Media Strategy: Maureen Lloren Sedlak

Signed Theme Music By: Carmine Mattia